DR. CONCETTINA PIZZUTI, ITALIAN LANGUAGE PROGRAM COORDINATOR

The Department of Romances Languages welcomed the addition of Concettina Pizzuti as Italian Language Program Coordinator in the Fall of 2001. Dr. Pizzuti received her Ph.D. from Harvard University and has extensive experience teaching Italian literature, culture and language at a number of institutions, most recently at Northwestern University and The University of Arizona. She served as the Resident Director for the Bologna Cooperative Studies Program in Italy in 1996-97, and her research interests include content based language instruction, sociolinguistic issues in literature and second language acquisition, as well as twentieth century Italian literature. Her current duties at UGA include supervising the first two years of Italian language instruction and coordinating the work of the other Instructors in Italian. "We have excellent, enthusiastic instructors", said Dr. Pizzuti. She holds regular "teaching circles" to exchange views on teaching issues to find ways to improve all courses and to attract and retain more students. She also organizes the Italian conversation table, Tavola Italiana, held on Thursdays at 5 p.m. at the Transmetropolitan in downtown Athens. "We not only have students, but other people from the community who have heard about it and come to brush up on their Italian. It has been a success." Links to the Department of Romance Languages Italian program within the University include the Lamar School of Art, which has a study abroad program in Cortona, Italy. Some students prepare for their abroad experience by taking Italian. "They often are motivated to study the language because of their interest in Italian art, and end up loving it," Dr. Pizzuti said. More information about the abroad program in Cortona can be found at: http://www.visart.uga.edu/cortona/.